In 2015, I had the privilege of organising a high-level roundtable with Permanent Representatives of the African Union. The agenda was simple but historic: advancing the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa.

Months of advocacy, lobbying and difficult conversations followed. On January 31, 2016, the protocol was finally adopted. For the first time, African governments collectively committed themselves to protecting the dignity, autonomy and socio-economic rights of older persons. 

The protocol called on countries to eliminate age-based discrimination, guarantee equal access to services, protect older persons from abuse and violence, and ensure equal opportunities in employment and social protection.

Ten years later, I find myself returning to the same question: what has changed? Have we reduced discrimination against older persons? Have we created systems that allow older women and men to age with dignity? Have we translated continental commitments into meaningful action?

A long way to go

My recent experience suggests we still have a long way to go. A few weeks ago, while looking for private health insurance, I discovered that several providers impose substantial additional premiums on people above a certain age. In my case, I was asked to pay 30 per cent more than a younger applicant for similar coverage.

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When I challenged the insurer, arguing that the surcharge contradicted the spirit of commitments African governments had pledged to uphold, I was told it reflected higher health risks and offered “better protection.” To them, older age means extra burden. Age becomes a barrier to accessing an essential service. And I am not even 60.

There may be actuarial reasons behind such policies. However, for those affected, the distinction matters. The discrimination may be subtle, embedded in conditions and pricing structures rather than explicitly stated, but it remains a form of exclusion. Sometimes the discrimination is in the language we use, the attitude or the rejection. 

This matters because Tanzania, like much of Africa, is gradually ageing. Today, an estimated 3.5 million Tanzanians, about 5.7 per cent of the population, are aged 60 and above. As life expectancy improves, that number will continue to grow.

The real question

The question is not whether Tanzania will age. It will. The real question is whether we are preparing for that future. A major challenge lies in the gap between commitment and action. 

Despite championing the rights of older persons at regional forums, Tanzania has yet to ratify the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons. As of 2025, only 17 African States had ratified the instrument.

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Ratification alone will not solve the challenges facing older persons. But it would demonstrate political commitment and provide a stronger foundation for reviewing laws, policies and practices that continue to disadvantage older citizens.

The issue extends beyond human rights. It is also an economic one. Public debate often focuses, rightly, on young people. They represent energy, innovation and the future of our economies. But in celebrating youth, we frequently overlook another national asset: experience.

Older persons carry decades of accumulated knowledge, professional expertise and community leadership. Yet too often our institutions treat ageing as a burden rather than a resource.

Although Tanzania adopted the National Ageing Policy in 2003, studies continue to highlight significant implementation gaps. In particular, the absence of enforceable legislation and robust institutional mechanisms has limited the effectiveness of social protection measures for older persons.

Without a comprehensive legal framework, efforts to support older Tanzanians will remain fragmented. The government should therefore review and strengthen the National Ageing Policy through dedicated legislation on the rights of older persons, stronger institutional arrangements, and better enforcement and accountability mechanisms. Such reforms would provide a firmer foundation for protecting the dignity, security and wellbeing of a growing segment of the population.

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Many older Tanzanians remain economically active, particularly in agriculture and the informal sector. Yet they often face barriers in accessing credit, healthcare, training and employment opportunities. Their exclusion is rarely the result of diminished capacity; more often, it reflects systems that were never designed with ageing populations in mind.

Existing opportunity 

The opportunity is clear. Tanzania can promote longer and more productive working lives, encourage lifelong learning, and create pathways for intergenerational knowledge transfer. Businesses, communities and public institutions all stand to benefit from the skills and experience that older people bring.

As Africa continues to pursue its demographic dividend, we must resist the temptation to frame youth and ageing as competing priorities. A society that invests in young people while neglecting older generations wastes valuable human capital and weakens social cohesion.

Ten years after the adoption of Africa’s landmark protocol, the promise remains unfinished.

The real test is not how many declarations we sign or speeches we deliver. It is whether an older person can access healthcare without unfair penalties, secure meaningful work without prejudice, and live with dignity without being treated as a burden. Ageing is not somebody else’s problem. It is a future that awaits all of us.

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As we commemorate the 2026 United Nations International Day of Older Persons on October 1, under the theme, ‘The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives,’ Tanzania and the rest of Africa have an opportunity to ask a fundamental question: are our institutions ready for longer lives? 

The challenge is not simply to help people live longer, but to ensure that those additional years are healthy, productive, dignified and equitable.

The time to prepare for that future is now.

Jamillah Mwanjisi is an advocacy and communications specialist with over two decades of experience in development, governance, and social policy. She’s available at jmwanjisi@gmail.com. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, p